The Fang of Caelin
by Kerota
Summary: Taking place after the fall of Laus Castle, an assassin from the Black Fang is given a team and is ordered to assassinate the Marquess-to-be in Castle Caelin. Needless to say, he failed. His squad wiped out, himself injured, and the guards capture him. What caused him to lose his team and become wounded? A combination of a Coup within his team, and... a girl?
1. Chapter 1: Not like a family

Thanks for checking out my first (published) fanfiction! It's most likely gonna suck, but I'll appreciate it if you take the time to R&R.

I don't own the Fire Emblem name or series (trust me, you don't want me to.) All credit goes to Intelligent Systems and Nintendo for the series and characters.

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** Chapter One: Not like a family**

"Well, shit, I botched this one... Over a girl, no less..." A wounded teen said aloud, clutching his side. His black tunic covered in fresh blood, his hood concealing his purple hair, a streak of blonde carefully hidden away.

Close nearby are the bodies of those responsible for his pain, slowly dissipating into dust. Assassins, more specifically, assassins he was leading on a mission. Their names did not matter, as they were morphs, humanoids born of darkness, who only exist to follow the orders of those who made them.

He was given a nine man team, ten including himself, having the mission of infiltrating Castle Caelin to assassinate the newly rediscovered heir: A plainswoman by the name of Lyndis. His team had silently cleared each room, dispatching any guards that may prove a problem upon their exit, and everything was going according to plan.

That was, until one of the morphs decided to cut off from the group. Feeling unsettled by this, the leader broke off as well, catching the rouge in a matter of seconds, finding him poised to strike a sleeping female guard. Moving faster than the arm pulling the knife down over the guard's heart, the leader prevented the act from continuing further.

'Our targets are guards that may pose a problem, and Lyndis. There is to be no more deaths than necessary.' The young leader telepathically told the morph. 'And why should I listen to you, whelp? If we so wished, we could eliminate the entire castle here and be on our way.' It retorted, obviously irritated he was being talked down to by someone who hadn't even been outside the Black Fang controlled territories for missions before.

A snarl forming on his face, the leader reached for his own dagger, feeling more eyes set upon him. 'So, you would all turn against your superior?' After a brief, tense filled silence, the morph over the girl took a few steps away from the younger assassin. 'You are no superior to us!' He stated as he struck out, catching the leader off guard and stabbing into his side.

Quickly recovering from his shock, he quickly rushed the doorway, dispatching two of the morphs while evading the rest. He hoped that they would all attempt to pursue him, and much to his relief (and dismay,) they had. Leading them into a large room, where he promptly turned, only to take a fist to his gut. Being knocked several feet back, he felt the pain from his stomach being replaced with the pain of hitting a wall. Allowing no time for a follow-up strike, he leapt forward, catching two more morph's necks with the teeth of his knife.

'Oh boy,' He thought to himself, 'this dizzy from the blood loss, and there are still five left.' Rolling away from a kick, he quickly found his next target, only to quickly dispatch of him by throwing a knife. The last four got on the defensive, not allowing anyone else to be picked off. They formed a small group, which would only serve to end their little rebellion quickly. As they went on the defensive, the wounded teen had already devised, and was now executing a plan: To use a chandelier above them to break their guard, then finish them while they're dazed. Sure, it would alert all the remaining guards to his presence, but his wounds were too severe to escape with, so either way meant death. He sure wasn't going to Hell alone.

As soon as he freed the chandelier, the remaining morphs broke away from one another in a panic. Using this opportunity, the teen made his way around to each morph, slitting their throats or stabbing their hearts, and with the last morph, he gladly returned his knife: through the side of his head.

He now sat opposite to the bodies of his former team, halfway underneath a window, eyes closed as he could hear the shouts of the guard's drawing closer and closer. 'Won't be long now,' He thought grimly to himself, 'until I'm finished off. Might as well take the poison from my pouch...' As he reached down to his pouch, he had to fight the urge to open his eyes in shock. "That sneaky bastard..." He whispered to himself, as that first stab wasn't just to wound him, it was also to destroy his poison capsule. Sighing in defeat, he braced himself for his eminent death, delivered to him by the knights of the castle.

And after what seemed to be years, he felt the cold steel against his neck. "You there, open your eyes." Taking a few moments of weighing his options, his thoughts were interrupted. "I know you can hear me." He complied, however upon opening them, he was not greeted by just any knights, but the Knight Commander and Sub-commander themselves. However they were not the ones with their blades against his throat, it was the heiress herself, Lyndis. "Would you care to explain why you were in this estate this late at night?" She asked, her voice colder than the steel pressed against his skin. "If I like whatever excuse you have, I may have your end be swift." Again, weighing his options, he might as well die like a human that he was trained to never be.

"I was sent here to kill you, Lyndis." He matched her words and her gaze with both feeling as if they could freeze even the hottest of blood. Lyn, never shifting her gaze, raised her sword over her head. "Who sent you? Was it the Fang?" He slowly nodded his head, closing his eyes as he waited for Death to take him. As Lyn brought her sword down, a pair of small hands grabbed her by the arm.

"Lyn w-wait!" The girl called out, slightly stumbling on her words. The sudden outburst jolted the assassin's eyes open, as he had expected steel, not words. "Florina! Why did you stop Lady Lyndis?" Called out the Green Armoured knight. "Because, that m-man saved my life earlier!" The entire group's eyes grew wide with surprise. "Is that true?" Lyn asked him. Holding back a sneer, the assassin began speaking again. "I have no idea what that girl is talking about." He replied coolly. "Th-that's not true!" Florina suddenly yelled, "You stopped one of these men from killing me, and got stabbed in the side because of it!" Everyone turned to examine the teen's tunic, only for him to cover his wounds as best he could.

"Listen, whether or not I saved your life matters not at the moment, as I'm an assassin, who was tasked with taking your Lord's life. Even if you were to spare me, I failed my mission, and failure means death." He said grimly, Florina's expression fell, deeper than sadness, yet it couldn't match the darkness on the assassin's face. He was ready to die. There was no changing that. If they showed mercy, he would have to kill himself, or wait for another Fang member to come and finish the job for him. "If you truly wish for me to have mercy, you would do well to end me now. Word of failure travels fast in the Fang, and as soon as you would lock me up, another assassin would be here to do away with me. And after I'm gone, they'll finish the original mission..." the leader finished, only to be struck on the head with the shaft of a lance, effectively knocking him out.

"Kent! Why did you strike him!" Sain questioned, shocked at his recent action. "Because, Fang or not, any assassins must face proper justice. If he is killed, it may as well be an execution to serve as a warning." Kent finished, slightly annoyed at Sain questioning his actions. "Why not do away with him as we did with the morphs before him?"Sain rebutted, reminding Kent that morphs are nothing more than puppets bound to serve their masters. "While you give a valid reason Sain, a very large question remains. Why did he do away with his allies if he's a morph as well? Why did he harm himself to protect Florina?" Lyn interjected, reaching down at his hood with the curiosity of a kitten. In a swift motion, the hood went down, and everyone was speechless.

The assassin couldn't be a day older than themselves, and his hair was quite odd. Most morphs had solid dark hair, this boy had streaks of blonde and lighter purple along with the solid dark purple that dominated his head. The only thing that left his identity a mystery was his eyes, Lyn however saw them. They were the same as a morph's, but she had to check again, just to be sure. Opening his eyes, she was taken aback. His eyes were bluer than the plains above Sacae, not anything at all like the gold she saw earlier. Getting up, Lyn gave Sain the order to fetch a healer while Kent bound the assassin's arms and legs. They would have a long night ahead of them...

Waking with a start, the assassin looked around. He hadn't been killed... but that doesn't mean that this fact couldn't change. As he looked around he noticed another figure in his cell. His blood instantly ran cold. He had expected them to send a proven morph, like one of the commanders, but the figure in front of him was none other than Nergal, the creator of the morphs and leader of the Fangs. "It seems you've failed boy, and such a shame that is. One as loyal as you must obviously know the penalty for failure." Nergal said as he began to raise his right arm. "It really pains me to do this, since I have invested so much time into molding you. You were almost like a son to me." Nergal stated before releasing a burst of magic that engulfed the teen. "Almost." Had Nergal stayed behind for another moment, he would have seen his magic dissipate, with the teen never having moved anything more than his right arm.

"I have no more patience for your games you bastard. I have much to repay you for..." He stated to himself before collapsing from him expending most of his energy disrupting the devastating spell, the last sight he saw was the girl named Florina run into the room, followed shortly by the Knight Kent. Puzzled by the scorch marks that were everywhere in his cell. He awoke again, only this time he was not in his cell. He was back at the Headquarters of the Fang. One of the commanders had returned, only to leave shortly after. Asking whom he believed to be something akin to a father what he had returned for, only to be shocked by what he was told. The plan in Laus had failed. Asking for a mission to stop the Tactician and the two young Lords, the teen eagerly awaited a response, and he got one. His first mission outside the territory, and it was to assassinate a Marquess-to-be before the remainder of the Laus forces mobilized an attack on Castle Caelin.

The young man wasn't always so eager to please his "Father", however, he knew that the only way to get his answers was through him. This man, Nergal, knew what the teen did not: His past. Nergal had found the infant and sensed a hidden power in him, so once he was old enough to hold a sword, the man had him drugged and forced through the Dragon's Gate. Nergal had nothing to lose, it wasn't his child, and he felt more like him out there, but if this child could survive in their realm, then a being as powerful as him could as well.

Much to everyone's surprise the boy had come back several years older, and was tempered into one of the best assassins of the Fang, in only a few months. This astounded Nergal, and he wasted no time in placing spies and guardians everywhere around the teen. A few months after the incident the teen started to grow weary of his guarded life, and less trusting of his Father. Of the many things he learned in the strange realm was how to blend perfectly into shadows, which helped him survive his encounters with the inhabitants of that world. He also had developed extreme hearing and eyesight, which helped him learn their language. He was, in a sense, the perfect assassin. Yet he craved knowledge of his past, knowledge denied him, but granted to his "Father". If it wasn't for that, he would have done away with the bastard shortly after he returned from the Dragon's Realm.

He was pulled out of his dreams by the stinging pain of a vulnerary being applied to his stab wound. He attempted to slowly move his arms and legs, only for them to meet the resistance of ropes. They had bounded him before applying the medicine. Smart. He could feel only one presence in the room, so he felt it safe for him to open his eyes, expecting to see a healer or one of the castle servants, but it was that girl he has saved, Florina. He couldn't help but stare at the small girl as she dressed his wounds which has reopened from his encounter with Nergal, possibly mere moments ago, she did it slowly but effectively, making sure not to miss any of his wounds.

Although she was preoccupied and unaware of his gaze, her fear of men (or her Androphobia, if you will), started to react, and she soon found herself leaping back with a terrified yelp. She started for the door, but before she could get anywhere near it, Sain busted in, followed by Lyn. "Milady Florina! Whatever is the matter?" Sain asked before Lyn shoved him out the way to check on her friend. "What happened?" Lyn asked, in her soothing and motherly tone. "Th-The man... He woke up and... I-it surprised me. I was shocked to see him awake so early is all..." Florina replied, still flustered from his staring.

Everyone but Florina turned their attention towards the captive would-be assassin. Sain was the first to speak regarding him, and it wasn't with his usual demeanor. "Milady Florina, why were you wasting your time fixing that rogue's wounds? He does not deserve such kindness. After all, he did come here to end Lady Lyndis' life." Sain put on the best face of disgust he had, only for a cold gaze from the assassin making him lose it almost instantly. "Well, as it seems you're awake now, I think it's time I got more answers. First of all, what's your name?" Lyn asked, hoping to address him as something more than "the assassin." Pondering a bit, he decided that the best course of action, albeit a long shot, was to be honest, and pray that they believe him.

"...They called me 'Zyre', though I do not know my real name. I was raised by the Fang since I was an infant, and let me just say... the conditions for growing up were...less than savory." Zyre took a pause, awaiting the next question, hoping that it would be asked soon. "Why did you betray the Fang, your family?" "They were no family of mine, just a means to find my past." "Then why did you kill your group?" "They refused to follow me, and my orders. They also plotted to include me in the assassinations, reporting back to Nergal about my death at your hands before you met your end." Zyre kept up with her questions for several minutes, answering each questions without a second thought. After her last question, Lyn leaned back onto a nearby wall, taking in all the information.

"Lyndis," Zyre started, being cut off by Sain. "What makes you think you have the right to say Milady's name? Ill-mannered cur, hold your tongue!" "That's enough Sain, he's been fully cooperative so far, let him call me whatever he wishes, he's earned as much." Lyn said, scolding Sain for his harsh words. "As I was saying, Lyndis. There's a force coming to attack this castle as we speak." "What!" Sain cried out. "Why did you not tell us sooner!?" "I tried, but I was unjustly interrupted." Sain's expression fell. "It consists of the remnants of the Laus army, which your companions Eliwood, Hector, and Mark destroyed." As Zyre finished Lyn's eyes flashed with fear, for an army marches against her, yet also with happiness. Mark was safe with Eliwood and Hector.

"How long until they arrive?" Lyn began, but as if to answer her a guard came in. "Milady! We've spotted a large number of soldiers approaching the castle. They're...they're flying Laus banners!" "Dammit! We've got no defenses prepared after the war with Lundgren! What are we to do Milady?!" Sain cried out. "You flee." Zyre replied, sounding extremely calm and collected for someone in his position. They all looked at him flabbergasted. "You expect me to flee and leave my grandfather here?" "Yes, actually. I believe your allies shall be arriving shortly." Zyre replied, still talking in a calm demeanor. "I think it'd be best if you allow me to travel with you. I have... invaluable experience with situations such as this." "HELL NO," Sain bellowed, "I will not allow you to-" "Sain! Hold your tongue! While I understand what he's asking is complete lunacy, and I agree, I don't plan on taking him with us." After Lyn had finished talking, she could hear the Laus troops rallied cheer, and the sounding of war horns, signalling the beginning of the charge.

"I do believe you have no choice in the matter now Lyndis. Either you take me as a soldier, or I turn to a freelancer, having no restrictions of allies." Zyre stated. He wasn't taking no for an answer, even being prepared to escape the cell if she refused again. After a long silence, the soldier that came to warn then began urging Lyn, Sain, and Florina to quickly flee. The enemies were fast approaching with another sound of the war horn, this time it was much closer.

"...Sain, cut him of his bonds." Lyn ordered, her voice hinting at defeat. "But Milady!" Sain interjected, sounding more like a child whining than a knight advising his Lord. "Sain, do not make me repeat myself." Lyn replied as she left the room to search for Kent. Sain, begrudgingly, did as he was ordered, never losing the scowl on his face.

Soon after being cut from his bonds, Sain left. 'Good, one less pain to deal with...' Zyre thought to himself. He had given his allegiance to Lyndis and her nation, whether they wanted him or not didn't matter, he was going to stay around for a while. 'Not like I had much choice,' He thought to himself again, 'These people are the best hope I have to encounter Nergal again.' The next statement he thought, made him chuckle a bit. 'I gotta hand it to Nergal though, he did make me as powerful as I am today But, he stole my past and childhood from me...' His chuckle quickly turned to sorrow, for he knew the facts. He wasn't natural. He didn't belong in this world. He knew he would die after this endeavor is over, having nothing more to obtain, nothing to gain that he desired. He just wants to know the life he would've had, if not for Nergal's interventions.

Searching around a bit, he found his pack. Checking to make sure everything was inside where it should be, he took a rather large piece of folded steel out of it, and secured it to his back, taking a wooden handle out and attaching it to his side. After refilling his pouch with vulneraries, and other supplies, Zyre headed for the door leading to the main hall of the castle. The rallied cheers from the Laus soldiers were deafening at this point. For soldiers who has lost their home and pride, they sure did have spirit... Something didn't set right with him, and he soon found out why. He was being watched.

Out of the shadows stepped a woman clad in mostly purple, with a yellow cape flowing and her footsteps resonating throughout the halls as she walked. Stopping about a foot away from Zyre, the woman was soon joined by a hooded man. He hadn't seen the woman extensively, but he knew the man all too well. Ephidel, one of Nergal's most prized morphs. Zyre got on the defensive, blocking attacks being launched by the woman, but he failed to block a surprisingly weak blow from Ephidel. After repelling the woman and gaining distance, his entire body felt as if he was burning from the inside out, his strength beginning to drain from his body.

"Did you really believe you could dispel Lord Nergal's attacks so easily?" Ephidel began. "Nergal knew you could be troublesome, but he couldn't risk destroying certain pieces, that reside in this castle." Looking up at him, Zyre couldn't speak through the pain. Only glare. Ephidel scoffed, then turned to the woman. "Come Leila, we have business with the Marquess." Following her orders, Leila followed the morph to the Marquess' chambers. "Oh, and Lord Zyre," Ephidel began, "The pain you feel is a seal, one so powerful that only someone with arcane powers equal to Lord Nergal's may break it, but unfortunately for you, one with such power doesn't exist anymore." Ephidel smiled as he walked towards the chamber door.

With Ephidel's departure, Zyre could feel the searing pain lift, and he was soon on his feet, only for a moment though, as his strength was significantly weaker than he could imagine. He probably wasn't at a tenth his original power, but he knew he could handle the remnants of a fallen army. Picking himself up, he ran the opposite way Ephidel had went. Near the exit stairway Zyre had heard wood being smashed apart and the satisfied cheers of the hoard responsible. They were in, and were no doubt going to raid the entire floors. Caught on the second floor, Zyre decided to test what little strength he had: by jumping out a window. Not very subtle, I know, but he landed unscathed. Pleased that he was not as weak as he once feared, he decided to try to find Lyndis before the real battle started. The majority of the forces must have invaded the castle, for only a few dozen soldiers were holding positions outside. They were quite pissed about something, and that was Lyndis with her knights cutting down any enemy that approached. All this bloodshed was gonna be quite interesting...

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**(A/N)** Yet again, thanks for taking the time to read this fic, and if you would be so kind, CHEW ME OUT about any mistakes you catch. It'll help me in the long run if I get hate comments every now and again about how I suck at wording things, or if I word things too much! I spent the past few days writing this on and off, so I'm surprised that, for one thing, it got done in the first place, and that it's almost 4K words. R&R, and until next chapter. Kerota, _out_.


	2. Chapter 2: Having someone important

**Welcome back to my first (published) fanfiction! I really had some trouble writing this one, mainly for the fact of not trying to have an OP OC, but... Just read the story and lemme know how OP he is :)**

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**Chapter Two: Having someone important...  
**

Looking down at his captors-turned allies, Zyre couldn't help but notice there was another person with them. A Brown-haired archer, possibly from the Castle's reserve guard, or another position of minor importance. It didn't matter much, as he wasn't going to have time to acquaint himself with any of the warriors on the field, as another force had just arrived from the north, a red-haired man along with a blue one stood at the front of the small army.

He wasn't the only one to notice their presence, as Lyn had made the announcement to her band of soldiers that relief has arrived. Feeling some unrest come with the newly arrived troop, Zyre rushed as fast as he could to inform Lyn and her allies of the foe's numbers, only to quickly change his direction as feathers fluttered in front of his face. He was too late. Florina was already heading out, and there were several archers waiting for her.

Cursing his long reactions since his sealing, Zyre nearly sprinted, in vain, to catch and warn the Pegasus Knight. Realizing he was losing ground on her, he reached to his side and grabbed the handle, then reached for the steel on his back. In one swift flicking motion, the steel unfolded into a Great-Axe, and he attached the wooden handle to the bottom of the already existing handle. When the two pieces met, they began to softly glow until Zyre twisted the handle into place, fusing the weapon with it's new grip.

Looking up to see how many archers had spotted her, he was nearly in a panic. Nearly all of the archers were already aiming and were about to fire. Opting for a more accurate approach, Zyre decided it best he try to kill the closer enemies with his daggers, then use the axe at either a close range, or as a hefty projectile.

His method proved quite effective, downing half of the archers in only a few throws, and an axe swing (poor bastard was nearly cleaved in half!), he made his way to finish off the last 3 that were out of his original range. Two more dagger, two more dead bodies.

Last one, but the previously unaware archer had long noticed the Pegasus Knight, and, as his comrades before him, was drawing an arrow and preparing to fire. He was well out of range for Zyre's daggers to effectively wound him, so he deemed this a last (and painful) resort.

Letting the axe fall to the ground, Zyre took several steps back, and broke into a sprint. Just before he passed it, he grabbed the axe, and with a grunt (and a few cracks), flung himself off of the ground and into a spin. Letting out a cry, he flung the axe.

Needless to say, it found it's target, but not before the bastard loosed his arrow. Would the Gods be so unkind, and blew a stronger gust of wind, it would have found it's mark, but it was slightly off, and the only damage done was frightening the Pegasus.

Deeming Florina as safe as she could be at the moment, he hurried to retrieve his daggers, not caring or bothering with the axe, as he found his back slightly heavier, and with wood at his side. He found that his charge didn't go unnoticed, and was swiftly met with cavaliers and mercenaries. Ignoring the pain in his right arm, he got into a defensive stance, prepared to deter any and all attacks… from his enemies.

Moving only slightly, he avoided an arrow heading for his chest. Not breaking his stance very much, he turned to see who had fired the arrow, and he was surprised to who it was.

His assailant, or who he thought at the time was a girl a good distance away. She was in light armor, brown (in some form or another) dominated her mid-section, with green dominating the top. Green hair, green bandana, and green eyes.

She was holding, what seemed to be, an old and worn-out bow, and had her hand drawn back away from it. She had fired the arrow at him, but much to his surprise, an enemy standing between the two had turned to see who had fired as well.

Bad choice, as he found his head nearly separated from his torso in a matter of seconds. Not only were his enemies shocked and surprised, so was the archer-girl.

He wasted no more time than needed to dispatch the other foes that surrounded him. In a flurry of blades and blood, only one figure remained standing. Everything about him was different. He was no longer an assassin, he was a full-blown _monster_.

Something familiar in his mind had snapped, and he could hold it back no longer. He was covered in blood, most on his arms and chest, completely covering his blood from the previous night. Even though he was cloaked in crimson, he sent a chill down anyone's spine unfortunate to set their eyes upon him, and the deepest red was in his eyes.

No longer the gold of the Morphs, or the blue Lyn had seen before. This red was deeper than the fires of Hell.

He wasn't Zyre anymore, he was something that made the Gods tremble in fear. Years of torture, and years of fending for himself in the realm of the Dragons had tempered this side of him.

His senses began to drown out, and he could feel himself slipping into the hatred, his only drive left after the events of his life. He became unstoppable on the battlefield, lashing out at any foolish enough to approach him, and chased the ones who ran like they were animals, which wasn't too far from the truth…

The battle lasted mere minutes, Lyn met with Eliwood's troops near the middle of the battlefield, and after warning the villagers of the battle, decided to move north towards the castle.

They were soon greeted by the horrors left by their new comrade, but the more shocking thing, was that there were two new soldiers for every corpse. The remainder of the Laus army was serious about holding Castle Caelin, and killing the young lords attempting to retake it.

"I really do wish we could've met again under different circumstances," Lyn directed toward a cloaked man, "But I wouldn't want anyone else at the moment. It's sure great to have you here Mark, and I know you'll direct us wisely!" The man Lyn was talking to, nodded, but held his head lowered, allowing the hood of his cloak to hide the blush creeping across his face. He was used to praise, but something about words from Lyn had extra effects on him...

With Mark reunited with his old allies of Caelin, the combined force moved towards the castle, routing any opposition before they could pose any significant threat. Mark was glad to have everyone that Lyn brought with her, while Lowen and Marcus were capable knights, he was still learning their weaknesses, something he knew about Kent and Sain. Rebecca had talent from years of hunting, but Wil was more experienced in actual combat, and was more comfortable with taking the lives of enemies.

Florina was the much needed air-control: Helping others with their battles, scouting ahead, letting him view the battle from the air, and various other actions in-between. Lyn herself, although she wasn't constantly facing battles, fought even better than when he last saw her, letting him observe how much she's grown... as a warrior, of course…

Mark shook his head, he couldn't start thinking about those kind of things in the middle of a battle, especially one that could decide the fate of his friends and the Marquess of Caelin.

With his allies in position, he ordered the march towards the castle, where the last resistance should be. When they were close to the front entrance, they heard the clashing of metals, along with pained groans. The order to halt was given, and all the members marching were standing several meters away from the hulking mass of moving armour, and the battered form of the assassin. Zyre was still alive, but terribly wounded, seeing as he could no longer hold his right arm up.

**Before they arrived… **(_flashback, _"_**Flashback Dialogue" **_'_Flashback Thoughts')_

_He could feel his body coming back under his control, but along with control came the pain of his fractured arm. He had ignored it for this long, but it would see no rest, as he was fast approaching the front of the castle._

_He was met with minor resistance, until he reached the doorway. His advance was halted by a large man, in a huge set of armor. His name was Bauker, commander of the Imperial Guard of Laus._

"_**You've done well to come this far, boy. However, your pathetic excuse of retaliation ends with this battle!" **__Bauker lurched forward, his armour undoubtedly heavy, but as he moved he began to pick up speed, eventually breaking out in a sprint._

_Surprised that the man could even RUN in the armour, let alone sprint, gave Zyre a small taste of his training and strength. If he were to hit him, Zyre's journey of knowledge would be ended before it even began._

_He noticed the weapon the knight was using, and instantly knew that his only option was to stay at a reasonable distance, but not believe that his distance protected him from the weapon. Bauker had a javelin, making him a threat at close-quarters as well as medium distance in battle._

'_I can't make careless mistakes,' Zyre began to think to himself, his right arm slowly reaching back and grabbing the folding-axe off his back, 'so I have to adapt quickly. This won't do me much good as a weapon with my arm fractured, but I can still use it in it's current state...' As he thought of what would happen should he need to use the axe, he attached it to his right forearm._

_Good thing his weapons always have more than one use… Blow after blow was dodged by the assassin, seemingly dancing around the lance as it was brought forward towards it's target, but Bauker soon adapted to his opponent's movement style and the lance was soon biting flesh._

_Realizing that he was obtaining more and more wounds while attempting to dodge, Zyre opted to switch to a more defensive stance. Holding his shield-axe in front of his body, he started to absorb the blows from the lance._

_Bauker found this quite annoying, but he had observed a delayed reaction involving his opponent's shield-arm. Bauker decided to push Zyre's arm to the breaking point, and began slamming his lance harder and harder into his foe's shield._

_He was rewarded for his actions with a sickening crack, and his opponent groaning in pain, dropping his now-useless arm to his side. What Zyre did next slightly surprised the Commander._

_Instead of conceding defeat at the loss of use in his shield-arm, he simply switched his dagger from an upward position, like a sword, to an underhanded grip, more like an assassin's dagger, and extended his left arm in front of himself, issuing a challenge._

"_**Hmph, so you still wish to continue? What are you going to do with that measly dagger, when my armour's strong enough to withstand direct strikes from axes? You should just admit your defeat and make this less pathetic of an end!" **__As Bauker finished taunting Zyre, footsteps began to come into earshot, but neither warrior turned to greet whomever was approaching. Whoever let himself be distracted was the one who lost the advantage…_

**Back into it…**

The army under Eliwood's command were amazed, yet horrified at the sight. The man standing against the metal giant had no visible armor, an injured (and unusable) arm, and the only weapon he had was a dagger.

While Bauker looked to be in perfect condition, Zyre had ragged, unsteady breaths from his overexertion and his wounds, both new and old, were open, letting his blood flow freely onto his body (Not that they could see it clearly through the rest of his bloodstained clothes and body.)

The group individually held their own expressions, most were of horror, though, there were a few that respected the man throwing himself against the titan, with his weapon being almost nothing against the plate-armour.

One moment, Zyre was across from Bauker, the next, and he was in front of the man's plate-shield. Everything happened in a flurry of metal… But after the exchange, Zyre was flung back past his starting position, and landed face down, limp.

Bauker wasn't faring any better though, as he soon fell onto one knee with his helmet in front of him. He soon found his hands bracing the grounds in front of him, as blood pooled around them.

"We've been… defeated? Such… a shame… Lord Darin… I hope you find the right path…" As the words left him, Bauker soon found himself in the same position as Zyre, neither moved, not Bauker, nor Zyre, or anyone from Eliwood's army.

Nobody moved forward until a shadow flew over them, and then landed next to the fallen assassin. The lavender haired girl dismounted and knelt next to Zyre's broken and bloody (mostly, not his) form, pressed her head against his chest, and then called out for Serra.

"Serra! H-he's still br-breathing! I need your help, please!" Snapping out of the trance, the cleric in question rushed over to where the Pegasus Knight was, readying her staff as she approached. Soon following her was a red haired woman on a horse, also bringing her staff up to charge some energy into it before she arrived.

As the healers were focused on the wounded man, the leaders were discussing their next plan of action with the Tactician, Mark. While Hector, the Blue haired Lord opted for a direct charge into the front of the castle and then rush through the remaining forces, Eliwood and Lyn proposed a more safe (if not sensible), slower approach to clear each floor of enemies, before reaching Marquess Darin to confront him about Marquess Elbert.

They were soon joined by Sain, Kent, Lowen, and Marcus. They were all discussing the happenings during their adventures, and what knights of Pharae were doing in Caelin. Kent looked somewhat excited to be talking to fellow knights, as did Lowen and Marcus, Sain however, kept glaring over his shoulder at the tent that held Zyre.

He wasn't bothered about him being on his side as much as he was with who the person that rushed to his aide was.

Florina, the one who feared men, had rushed up to him and was _physically _touching him, checking for signs of life on the assassin. Any time he even thought of approaching her, she fled from him, and anytime he tried to speak to her, Lyn was there to intervene.

They were comrades, and yet they barely spoke as such, yet Zyre could come around and earn her trust in just a day? This aggravated Sain to no end, knowing how swiftly this brigand, who was originally tasked with ending his lord, and her friend Lyn's life, had wormed his way close to Florina.

He wasn't going to stand for that, and would confront him about it when he was healed… "Sain!" Lyn called out, "Uh? Ah! Milady Lyndis! My apologies for being inattentive! Why were you calling upon me?" Sain probably would've continued acting that way, had it not been for Kent punching him in the side.

"She was asking what was so interesting about the wounded tent." Kent said, ashamed of his sub-commander's lack of attention. "Oh, uh, nothing much. I was just wondering… Why is Milady Florina in that place, she wasn't injured was she?" Sain asked, replacing his lie with a semi-truth, though he knew the reason why she was there.

"Florina's fine, though you do raise a valid point, why is Florina in a place such as that?" Lyn began to ponder herself before walking over to the tent.

Before entering, however, she was nearly bowled over by Sain, who had rushed ahead as Florina screamed. Opening the tent, they were greeted by Florina rushing to hide behind Lyn, and with Zyre as he stood up and searched for something in his pack.

Sighing, Lyn turned to her friend. "Let me guess, he startled you again, didn't he?" While Florina nodded, Lyn couldn't help but notice that she was blushing furiously, then turned to see the cause of it. Zyre had no shirt on, bar the light bandaging, but he quickly remedied the situation by retrieving another tunic from his pack.

This one wasn't completely black, with dark red being the dominant color, with black and blue trimmings. She noticed that when he recovered his top, Florina's blush had settled considerably, but it wasn't completely gone, but it was hardly noticeable.

Before she could ask Zyre what happened, Sain had approached him, with a… less than friendly aura about him. "What the Hell makes you think you can just lounge about half nude in the presence of women!? You're quite lucky you're injured, otherwise I would have to take action against your barbaric actions!"

Sighing, Zyre reached up and started to massage his temples, "I just recently awoke, and I'm already being yelled at…" "Sain, ease off of him, he did get injured fighting for us…" Lyn interjected. "I understand that, but I don't believe that he just awoke," Sain began, "he could've been plotting some heinous actions against the beautiful Florina!"

Zyre, growing irritated by the knight's accusations and arrogance, let out a soft growl. "I'm still right here, you know. And I'm nothing like a bandit or a wolf, I'm human as well, whether you chose to believe that is up to you though." With that, Zyre grabbed his pack, attached his axe to his back, then exited the tent.

"H-hey! Wait!" Florina called, only to be ignored, fueling Sain's ire. "Why did you call out to that brute Milady Florina?" Sain asked, his voice practically dripping venom at this point. "B-because…" Florina started, but her voiced trailed off. "Because… why?" Lyn asked, again, using her motherly tone.

"I still need to thank him…" She said, her face turning a shade of red. "For what?! All he did was run out onto the battlefield and getting himself injured" Sain asked, the venom being replaced with rage. "H-he saved me an-and Huey when we flew out to meet Lord Eliwood!" "And how do you know he was saving you! He could've just been killing for the joy of it!" Sain interjected, having calmed down a bit.

"Be-because-" "Because I told her of what he had done!" A new voice interjected, belonging to the girl with green hair. "Oh? And who might you be?" Lyn asked, unsure of how the girl was related to the matter.

"I'm Rebecca, I was saved by Lord Eliwood and his knights when my village was attacked, so I've been under his service since. Concerning your friend there, I saw her flying towards us, so I decided to scout a bit ahead, then I saw someone tearing through archers like he was getting paid to do so. I saw he was attacking only archers, and decided to duck out of the way and lay low, so he wouldn't think I was his enemy but… I probably messed that up."

"How so?" Florina asked, concerned at Rebecca's fallen face. "After he finished the archers off, he was surrounded by enemies, so I knocked an arrow, and let it fly towards a myrmidon that was between him and myself, but… My bow isn't very reliable at long ranges, so the wind made the arrow miss the target, and head for his chest. Thank the Gods he was able to avoid it, but… it was still too close for comfort…" as she finished her tale Sain couldn't stop himself from saying some… nasty things to himself.

"S-see Sir Sain? Zyre r-really was helping me…" "Well he apparently didn't do a very good job of it, considering you still could've been injured from your fall…" Sain really wasn't giving in to any good things Zyre did during the battle. "The least he could've done was to stay around and properly thank you for all the trouble you've put yourself in for his sake over the past few hours!" Sain exclaimed, then left with a sigh after seeing Florina's eyes.

She was on the verge of crying, and he couldn't bear that on his conscience, and couldn't just blame Zyre, as he wasn't the one instigating tension with everyone. Sighing heavily again, he decided to seek out the rogue to try and let his problems with him be known. He didn't have to search for long, as he found him in a tree, being badgered with questions from Mark.

"Alright, thanks for the information Zyre. I might not have use for you in the coming battle, with your injury and everything…" Mark said, his face slightly downcast. "I have a suggestion, why not pair me with one of the Lords, so they can be a little more lenient in the battles?"

"Hmmm… I may have to take up that offer, and since we need an anchor for him, why not pair up with Hector? You could watch his back while he plows through enemies." "And I shall take up your offer, and after the battle we could partake in a game of chess!" At this, Mark smiled, nodded, then bid his farewells.

As Mark left, Zyre began to lean back onto the tree branch, but stopped halfway to call out to Sain. "I know you're there Sain, and yes, I realized you extremely dislike me." Sain froze, was he easy to read? "Why yes, yes you are. I can tell what you're thinking by your aura, and how you handle yourself. It's really easy once you grasp the basics of it, so if you'd like, I could teach you sometime!"

Sain was in shock, he had come here to give him a piece of his mind, but was batted off with a friendly offer, making Zyre seem like he could care less about his ire! "Listen… I know we- er, I, started on the wrong foot, and for that I apologize, I just don't want to see Lady Lyndis or Florina hurt… You understand, don't you? Having people dear to you, not wanting those people to get hurt?"

Zyre didn't answer, but instead jumped down, and walked away. Sain didn't need his confirmed answer, his actions were loud and clear. He never had people to care about, being alone most of his life. Gods, he had been a fool. Letting his anger get the better of him, and lashing out on someone who never had a family, or a comfy place to call home…

Then he brought himself back, he was here on a mission: To kill his Lord, Lady Lyndis. He didn't deserve sympathy, especially not from Lady Lyndis or Lady Florina. He sighed yet again, here he was, arguing with himself instead of resting for the upcoming battle… Zyre sure did have a strange effect on people...

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**(A/N)** I'm seriously trying not to make Sain such a huge asshole... but it's kinda just gonna happen, since he has the strongest connection with Florina (Y'know, aside from Lyn.) I'll try to have some other characters play a more prominent role in the story in side-stories, but other then that, would mostly just be mentioned during battles or other important events. I sincerely hope you can see the pairings I've planned out... ;) Until next time, Kerota, _out._


	3. Chapter 3: Retaking the Castle

**Holy crap, first off, sorry for not posting anything for God knows how long, and also for the short chapter. My school year starts in about a week, so I've been getting busy with buying supplies and clothes. I'll post more at the end of the story as to why this took so freaking long for me to write, and why it's probably my worst chapter so far (Well, in my opinion...)**

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**Chapter Three: Retaking the Castle.**

The army under Eliwood's command was given a few minutes rest, much to the disdain of Hector, who was eagerly awaiting his chance to crack some Laus skulls.

Most of the army were either lounging about or checking and restocking their weapons and vulneraries, while the Lords were discussing various things, their new companion being among them.

"Lyndis, would you care to explain to me who that man was, the one facing against the knight?" Eliwood asked, looking around for the man in question, only to turn his head to see the Pegasus Knight, Florina, whispering into Lyndis' ear, before dashing away.

"What? Oh, sorry Eliwood, I was just given a message… Hector, Florina gives her deepest regrets for landing her Pegasus on you earlier… Had it not been for you, she could have been seriously injured. For that, you have my thanks as well." Lyn said, and the lord in question started massaging his right shoulder. "Well, just let her know that pegasi are heavier than they would appear…"

At that, they turned their attention to Mark, who had just returned from his rounds of checking the soldiers and their equipment. "All the troops are ready to begin the siege against the Laus army. Hopefully we can retake the castle before they pose a threat to Lord Hausen…"

After a few minutes of resting, the call to get into formation was given, and everybody got into position.

Well, almost everybody.

A somewhat sneaky thief and an enigmatic assassin were absent. The two gaps were soon filled in, as they were soon counted for, and the army began its attack to recapture the castle.

'So he wants me to "liberate" some items from the castle… Sure, I doubt Lady Lyn would mind it too much...' The thief, Matthew, thought about what Zyre pulled him to the side to ask him to do a little side job for him.

This wouldn't be the first time he's stolen from an ally's armory during a siege… Probably wouldn't be the last either. Soon after they entered the main floor, shouts could be heard coming from further down the corridor, then the sounds of footsteps mixed with more shouts.

"Okay Lyn, it's your Castle, where do you suppose the possible remnants of the Guard are being held?" Mark asked, turning to the Heiress. "They should be in some of the cells around the throne, since I doubt they've had time to locate any of the other keys yet…"

"Alright, you heard her! But let me tell you now, the Castle Guards are **not** our main targets. If we wish to help anyone left, then we should head for the throne and defeat the commander there!" Mark stated, his voice booming among the walls of the castle. A rallied cheer soon followed.

Zyre has to give credit where credit is due, Mark had tactical skill, and the ability to rally an army. He did wish that he wasn't _that_ tactical, because not only did he have to watch out for Hector, he also had to watch out for the Troubadour, Priscilla.

She wasn't willing to go at first, but with some convincing words about Hector's foolhardiness, and the fact that she could move faster than Serra had changed her mind on the matter.

Sain had begun to complain about his pairing with only the other knights, saying he could stay with Florina and Lyn to protect them, but Lyn said that she would do just fine and offered to watch for Florina (Who couldn't fly freely in the castle), effectively shutting Sain out of the equation.

With each group ready, the assault to retake Castle Caelin was underway. Soon, the majority of Eliwood's army was inside, leaving only Merlinus and Oswin at the gate, Oswin being there to protect Merlinus from any enemy reinforcements. Not too surprising, Hector had wanted to lead the charge.

What WAS surprising, was that Mark allowed him to do so, and the fact that Hector wasn't denied his charge confounded him to no end, but thoughts about the battle ahead quickly drew his mind from confusion to joy. The battle was going well, and having Hector lead a charge really helped that fact. The commander of the occupying force must have expected the tactician to order a slower approach to combat his own knights.

He was shocked to hear panicked shouts of his soldiers informing of an unstoppable axeman. Hector, unwillingly, stopped his advance as Mark ordered, and began searching for the remnants of the Castle Guard. The rest of the group continued onwards, finishing off the remaining Laus soldiers and trapping the commander in the Throne Room.

"Priscilla," Hector began, "stay close to either me or Zyre." Priscilla looked slightly dumbfounded. "Yes, Lord Hector, but may I ask why? Did we not defeat the invaders?" Hector stopped and turned around to face her and Zyre, but Zyre caught a shadow move behind him.

"We defeated the main force, but there are bound to be more guarding the castle soldiers. So promise me you'll stay close to either me or Zy-"

Hector couldn't finish his thought as he was shoved out of the way by Zyre, who brought his knife upwards to catch a sword in it's teeth. The man wrestled against the knife for a moment before freeing it and retreating. Hector had just gotten up off his ass before being shoved again.

'He seems to be targeting Hector. Must have a grudge against him or sees him as a higher value target...' Zyre thought to himself, catching the attacker's sword in his knives yet again, but this time not allowing his to flee.

Using both his knife and hand to prevent the man from fleeing, twisting his arm until he was brought to his knees. "Drop it." Zyre commanded, only receiving a glare from the man.

"Either you drop it, or I break the bones in your arm until you can no longer _hold_ it." This time, the man reluctantly did as he was told. Looking at his captors, his eyes fell on the troubadour.

"You…" he began, earning a curious glance from all three of them. "Hm?" Priscilla responded. "Can it be?" In that moment, Zyre could see joy in the man's eyes, before flickering back to his previous expression. "I…" She began, but couldn't find the words.

"You don't… recognize me. That's not surprising. You were so young when we were separated." The man said, this time his eyes showed sorrow, with grief. "What? Are you… Raymond? My brother, Raymond?" Priscilla asked, her eyes full of hope, his of happiness.

"You've grown, Priscilla…" He said after a short pause, a smile forming on his face.

"Brother! My brother!" she said, eyes filling with tears. "What are you doing here? It's been ten years since Count Caerleon of Etruria took you in as his foster daughter…" The man, Raymond, stated. Sorrow replacing his happiness.

"That's right. My adopted father has treated me with much kindness. But I am of Caelin's House Cornwell by birth. I still remember Father and Mother. I've never forgotten them. Or you, Raymond." She walked up to him, tears rolling down her face freely, and they embraced in a long-awaited reunion "...Priscilla" Raymond, like his sister could find no words to say.

"...When I heard that House Cornwell was lost… I… I was so worried about you." She said, not moving from his arms. "So that's why you left Etruria? You've come quite a way." He stated, slightly pulling her away from him.

"Dear friends of mine in Etruria helped me. They provided a young mage to be my escort. Then we passed through Laus… The marquess learned of my heritage and refused to let me leave. I would still be there if not for Lord Eliwood and his companions." She finished, slightly shuddering after remembering what Marquess Darin was demanding of her.

"His...companions?" Raymond stated, looking at Zyre and Hector, who had moved slightly ahead of them. "Lord Hector, Lady Lyndis. They're all such kind people. I'm so glad I came to Lycia. And now I've found you..."

She said, moving back into his arms. "You've become friends with…him?" He said, quickly looking at Hector with disgust, before returning to his neutral expression. "Raymond?" Priscilla asked, concern in her voice.

"... I see. Then I will join you." He stated, a warm smile hiding his… less than savory thoughts of him attacking Ostia through the Marquess' brother. Priscilla's face lit up upon hearing his words. "Dear Brother! Will you truly come with us?"

"I could not refuse my little sister. And besides…" Raymond responded, and after his pause, Priscilla lost her bright smile. "What is it?"

"It's nothing, you're better off not knowing. Tell me, your lineage… Do Eliwood and his friends know of your heredity?" Raymond asked, sounding suspicious. "No, we've never spoken of it." She responded, earning a nod from him. "I see… That is best." "Brother?" Priscilla asked, but Raymond knew her questions before she asked. "Priscilla, we must keep our relationship a secret OK?" Priscilla nodded, rather reluctantly. "All right… If you say we must…"

"Another thing," he stated, not letting her mind dwell on more questions. "my name is Raven now. Raymond is…a name I've discarded." he stated, his eyes filling with grief once more.

"Brother… You have your reasons, don't you?" Priscilla said, looking at the ground, before looking back at him while forming a heart-warming smile. "I understand. As long as we can travel together, I'm happy." As she finished, Raven remained silent.

Although they were alone, and spoke the important matters quite softly, Zyre could still hear the conversation, but he paid little heed to it, as his new problem was convincing the soldiers not to take arms against the commander, which they stubbornly refused to stand down against. They were interrupted by the sound of hooves, with Sain and Lowen riding into the corridor. "Lord Hector!" Sain yelled for the young lord, who promptly stepped into their view, shortly followed by the knights and a blonde-haired monk.

"What's the matter? Lowen, Sain, why have you come seeking us?"

"It's the enemy commander sir! He's begun his final stand against our forces and has pushed us to retaliate. We need you for our strategy to work, sir!" Lowen explained, faster than Hector could comprehend, forcing Sain to waste time reinstating the instructions. "Zyre, Sain! Keep the soldiers in line until the battle is over, don't let a single one come to harm!" Hector didn't wait for a reply, and left with Lowen to duel with the commander.

Looking at each other, Zyre could only shrug and return into the prison cell, Sain shortly following. While Sain dismounted after joining Zyre near the door, a voice called out. "Oh my! Sain, is that you?" Both men turned to face a person with long blonde hair in a blue robe with a white cape.

"Well then, if it isn't Lucius! Why are you here in Castle Caelin?" Before Lucius could respond, Zyre thought fit to tease Sain a little, trying to break some of the tension with the man. "Well then, I'd never thought there'd be a woman Sain wouldn't hit on!" "Zyre, you've got it wrong Lucius isn't-"

"I am a monk, sir." At this revelation, Zyre lost his usually neutral disposition, favoring a more shocked expression. "A-a man of the cloth?!" He asked, only earning a sigh from Lucius and a chuckle from Sain.

"Yes, I follow Saint Elimine and her light." "Oh my Gods, I am deeply sorrowful for not catching my mistake sooner, I-" Lucius interrupted, already hearing the same apology countless times. "You have no need to apologize, you're not in the wrong. Just be glad you were told the truth before things could get… worse." "MUCH worse." Sain said, finishing the sentence with a slight shudder. Suddenly, Lucius' face fell. "If you guys are here then that must mean… Tell me, is there a dead man out there, with red hair?" He asked, face twisting with fear, a fear Zyre noticed.

"Ah, no. Not a dead one, but there is a man out there. He was recruited by one of our own and turned coat." Sain said, his words filling Lucius with brightness. "Oh thank Elimine for protecting him…" Lucius said, sighing heavily at the revelation that his friend lives.

"Hey, Lucius!" yelled a man from the hall, before stepping into the room.

It was Raven, greeting his friend and newfound allies. "We're with Caelin now, so come with me to the throne room so we can provide support!" Raven said, leaving before Lucius could ask him what changed his heart. "I suppose I should go along with him, I must also remember to give my thanks to whomever turned his heart…" Lucius mumbled to himself, then followed the red-haired man.

"Oh great, they all get to go while we're stuck here babysitting some guards…" Sain said to no one in particular, while Zyre was discussing something with the guards. Sain was pulled out of his thoughts involving Lady Lyndis and Sir Mark being unfair to a knight as noble as himself by a chill running down his spine.

Looking to his left, he found Zyre pulling his horse towards himself. "Zyre, what the hell are you doing?" "Preparing your horse to ride, what else?" Sain was visibly irritated by this revelation, and decided to confront him about it. "You DO realize we're under orders from a Lord to stay, right?"

"Yes, and? I've already handled the task I was given by Hector, so we should be free to leave." Zyre looked back at the castle guard, with Sain following suit, who all took a step back as Zyre smiled at them. "See? They promised me to stay put and not try to retaliate." Zyre said with an honest smile on his face.

"Uh...huh. And what did you promise them?" Sain asked, feeling the same chill as earlier. "Oh that? I promised not to break their fingers and hands! It's really effective, Y'know?"

"I… I really don't…" Sain said, fear overtaking the chills. Zyre leaned close to Sain, who responded by pulling back. "Listen, it was an empty threat, I wouldn't actually do that… At worst I'd sprain their legs so they couldn't walk for a while." Zyre finished, then went back to tending to the horse.

'For a dangerous man, he sure has a way with animals...' Sain thought to himself as he watched his horse calmly stand after having it's armor taken off, fur petted and brushed, and the armor put back on. "You've taken quite good care of this horse Sain, it makes me think somewhat higher of you, but not much."

Chuckling to himself, Zyre mounted the horse, and patted it's rear, waiting for Sain to join him. "Uh, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Sain asked, his previously forgotten ire coming back. "Riding to witness Mark's strategy of course! What other reason do I have for leaving?" Zyre asked, earning an irritated sigh.

"You don't lead another man's horse when that man is present Zyre, you get on the back and I'll direct the horse." "But the horse likes me better…" Zyre said, beginning to dismount the horse with defeat in his voice, but the horse started walking towards the door. "He-HEY!" "SORRY SAIN, I'LL BRING HER RIGHT BACK!" Zyre exclaimed as the horse broke into a gallop.

"Bastard, wait until I get a hold of him, I swear to St. Elimine I'll…" Sain paused for a minute. "Hold on, HER? I thought my horse was a dashing stallion, not a mare! Perhaps Zyre just… had bad lighting to see properly, yes that must've been it…"

Sain said before leaning against a wall, not attempting to catch the horse, and it's (unintentional) rider.

After calming the horse down to a quick trot, Zyre readied his weapons, not knowing whether he'll be needed or not. 'I sure hope Hector can be a reasonable man when it comes to my explanation...' Zyre thought to himself, not knowing how the Lord would react to him deserting his assigned post.

Arriving before the Throne Room, Zyre dismounted the horse and smacked it's rear to get her to run back to Sain. Approaching the door, Zyre felt a twinge of adrenaline surge through his body. He knew what this meant, and braced his hands against the door.

He was glad he did, as right when he braced himself, the door flew off it's hinges.

Skidding a few feet backwards, Zyre could feel his arms strain under the pressure pressing against the door. Whoever did this was instantly added to his 'Never Piss Off' list. When the force finally faded, the door fell to the ground with a heavy thud, and underneath it was the enemy commander, much to Zyre's surprise (and horror, as the man was HUGE, even bigger than the man he had faced outside the Castle).

"That's that then, eh? So much for the commander of Laus!" A voice boomed. It was a certain Lord. 'Yep, definitely on the list...' Zyre said under his breath.

Zyre faked anger towards the Lord. "Geez Hector! Were you planning on taking me out with him?!" he asked, hoping to soften the fact that he disobeyed orders.

Hector seemed shocked at the man standing above the commander, but he was quickly angered. "Maybe I was! You were the one who decided to come here against my orders!" 'Ah well, it was worth a shot...' Zyre then thought of something else to end the Lord's anger.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, but I DID save your life. Twice. I also handled the guards, so we should probably send someone to retrieve them..." Zyre said, walking by Hector, who had a defeated look on his face."You didn't... kill them, did you?" he asked, his voice cautious. "What kind of man do you take me for, Hector? I simply made them promise me not to pursue the commander." He said, continuing to move passed the axeman.

"I'll tell Lowen to ride to Sain then, and then we'll check on Lord Hausen along with Lyn... Something tells me there's more to this war than just Laus' Marquess being a power hungry fool..." Hector said before moving towards the cavalier.

"It would seem that the Rash Lord isn't as stupid as others would let you to believe... That's good..." Zyre then began to search for a healer for his fractured arms.

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Good Gods, this took WAY too long for me to write, and it's the shortest chapter yet! If you've read my profile, then you may have guessed what happened to me, and if you haven't, I'll tell you right now. I had a severe flare-up with my depression. It was so bad that I just curled up into a ball on my couch and just sat there, and waited. I didn't want to do anything, and I seriously thought that I might've done something really stupid during that time... But I didn't, so now I have to work my ass off to get chapter 4 out before another several weeks go by... As always, have a nice day, R&R, and until next chapter, Kerota, _out.__  
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	4. Chapter 4: Digging up the past

*Checks Watch* Hmm... Yep. I've officially become an ass. Sorry, sorry, sorry for the nearly 2 month update delay! (Has is been 2 months? Ieduno. Felt like it...) School started with a (less than enthusiastic) pop, and as it turns out, LATIN IS REALLY FUUFING CONFUSING. That, however, is another story for another time. More stuff in the bottom A/N, so stayed with me for this chapter (which thankfully has no fight scenes ;A;).

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Chapter Four: Digging up the past.

Zyre walked down the halls of Castle Caelin, one arm rubbing his head while his other arm rubs the first. "I get that she just healed my broken arms, but did she really have to refuse to help me then SMASH MY FREAKING HEAD IN?!" Sighing, Zyre continued his search for either a healer or a staff.

'Honestly, the only good my time spent in the Dragon's Gate is learning from _him_, but I doubt I'll see him again any time soon... At least he taught me the fundamentals of both the arcane arts, and smithing...' Zyre chuckled as he remembered his time with his mentor. 'That old lizard was a better leader than Nergal could ever hope to be.' Zyre thought to himself, a snarl forming on his face. He was lost in his thoughts until he felt a small bump, then heard a subsequent yelp.

Looking down, Zyre saw someone covered in various clothes and sheets. Reaching his hand out, he found the other person's and pulled them up, then catching them (much to the dismay of his fractured arms), as he underestimated the others weight. Looking at the person in his arms, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his ears, then the person pulling away.

"S-sorry for bumping into you..." It was Florina, who's flustered face raised some concern for Zyre. Raising his hand, he pressed the back of it to her forehead. "Are you feeling alright? I'll go let Mark know not to push you hard if you're sick," Zyre paused, slightly worried that her face was a bright crimson, "pushing a sick person only makes matters worse. Go find Lyndis and see a healer." He ordered, then proceeded to pick the clothes and such from it's place on the floor, then neatly refolding some, stacking them in smaller piles once that was done.

"Also, get help if you plan to carry this much at once. Something worse could've happened to you, then you might've been out of the fight for a while…" Getting up with a (somewhat painful) crack from the weight he put on his arms, he bid the girl good health and farewell, and went on his way to find some medical assistance. 'If my arms weren't fractured before, they sure as hell are now…'

Moving at a slower pace, Zyre finally found what he was looking for. Walking over to it, He was wishing it was something more potent than a simple Mend, but he'll have to take anything at this point, anymore pressure on his arms would worsen the damage already done.

"If I remember correctly… I just have to focus pure energy into the medium… Then focus on the wound. Alright then, I guess I'll give this a shot!" Holding the staff in his hands, he raised it over his head while focusing his purest thoughts into the orb on top of the staff, a soft glow swiftly enveloped his arms.

After he was finished, he lowered the staff and placed it back in its original location. Stretching, then twisting his arms he sighed contently. 'I really hate that feeling, but if it keeps me in fights I suppose I'll deal with it for now...' Turning around from the staff, he soon discovered his exit was blocked by two people.

Zyre instinctively fell into a defensive stance, not able to clearly distinguish the two as friends or foes. That is, until he saw the pink hair. The figure beside the girl, Serra, covered his ears as she released a high pitched shriek.

Before he could even attempt escaping, Zyre found himself with an hyperactive priest blocking his way, saying things so fast and high-pitched he had trouble keeping up. The other person, a man with purple hair, used one hand to hold her down while the other one cupped her mouth.

"If you would stop talking for more than a few seconds, you'd see that he's hopelessly lost…" The man looked at Zyre, who simply nodded. This person obviously had to handle her in the past.

'Poor guy, I'd have gone insane by now!' Zyre thought to himself, mouth slightly open as he wondered how this guy had such willpower. "Oh, you're right Erk! I was just excited to see someone able to handle a staff that well, since not even the high priests can heal anything deeper than flesh wounds in that short amount of time!"

"Yeah, yeah… He really doesn't seem too happy to see you though, did you do something to him?" Serra turned to look at Zyre, who's half-opened mouth now formed into an unnerving neutral position, like they were simply wasting his time.

After several seconds of staring at him, Serra couldn't recall anything, prompting Zyre to turn, grab the Mend, smack her on the head then replace the staff in one swift motion. The blow seemed to refresh her memories. "Oh! Yes, that's right, he went and got himself hurt again so I refused to heal him unless he asked me properly!" "You know you're one of the only TWO HEALERS of the group, right?" Erk asked, more exasperated than anything else.

"Yes I do know that, and I was about to help him regardless, but he just walked out on me!" "And? Then what?" "I- er…" she looked down, like a child who was caught and can't lie about breaking rules. "I sort of… smashed my staff against the back of his head…" Erk just sighed and shook his head. 'I REALLY need to take a page from this guy about patience...'

Zyre thought, before an agitated Erk smacked Serra on her forehead. "So, Zyre was it? I'll assume you know how to use other forms of magic?" "Yeah, you'd be right about that." Zyre replied, earning curious gazes from the two magic users. "Great! If you'll pardon me, I'll find you a basic… tome…" Erk looked at Zyre in astonishment, as the assassin held out his hand and summoned three orbs: One of fire, another of light, and the last of dark.

"This is… This is amazing! I've never seen an ability to invoke magic without a tome!" "For once, you're making sense to me, Erk! Not only can he heal unlike any expert I've seen, he can also control the Trinity!"

Zyre felt slightly uncomfortable from the aura the two were emitting, like they were predators and he was the prey. "Hey guys, wanna see something else?" Before they could answer, Zyre clenched his fist, opening it revealed a smaller orb that had constantly swirling colors inside it.

Throwing the orb down, the energy inside reacted with the magic in the air, causing a large cloud of smoke to flood the room (and some of the hall.) Zyre was already outside the Castle windows, and up a floor.

'I really had to get out of there… I hope they don't approach me like carnivorous animals the next time we meet…' Pulling himself through the upper floor windows, Zyre soon found himself in another odd situation. He was staring down an elderly man who appears to have just lost an ally.

"Oh! Intruder! Who the blazes are you?!" He asked (rather loudly…) 'Oh great… Into the fire…' "You see sir, I'm part of Lynd-" "Grandfather! Are you alright, we heard shouting and we rushed over he-" Zyre stared at the Lords as they poured into the bedchambers, only able to sheepishly chuckle and wave.

"What the hell are you thinking?! We thought you were another assassin!" Hector bellowed, still a little sore at the man for abandoning his orders. "Sorry! I just had to get away from an… unfavorable situation. Although it seems I've stumbled into yet another one…" "Oh shut it, you're starting to sound like someone I know."

Another woman stepped into the room. The one that was with the morph, Ephidel. "You! You're the one that helped that bastard!" "Ah! Lord Zyre, it is fortunate you survived the battle, for if you had fallen, things might've taken a turn for the worse inside the Fang..." At the woman's words, all the Lords turned to face her, while Zyre did the opposite. "Wait a moment Leila, did you call him _Lord_ Zyre?" Leila nodded. "I can tell you all I know... If that's alright with you, Lo-""Tell them whatever you wish. I'll be on the upper floors or roof, come find me and I'll tell the rest of the tale, if you wish to know..."Walking towards the door, no one made an effort to stop the young man.

"Alright, my knowledge is limited, and it may be unsavory for you to hear..."

Feeling the warm air brought more memories to the assassin. Some good (like him catching prey, then roasting them over a large flame), and some bad (avoiding becoming the prey roasting in the flames.) Closing his eyes, he soon found himself drifting through memories, until he landed on one he never thought would turn up again.

His first night awakening in the Dragon's Realm.

He first awoke briefly, as the drug hadn't quite worn off yet, that was the way he stayed for several minutes, not asleep, but not awake either. Until a roar jolted him upright in nearly an instant. Running in the opposite direction of whatever made the sound was difficult, as there were many trees, most of the uncharred ones were larger than castles made by the wealthiest of kings. He'd have stopped to examine them closer, but he was so afraid that if he stopped, that he'd be dead. And that was the only feeling he had, fear.

Zyre's eyes shot open when he felt something coarse and wet across his face. Thrusting his arm forward, he stopped his attack when he felt the short fur of an animal, a horse for that matter.

'Wait, not a horse, a Pegasus!' As he corrected himself, he was met with another rough lick. "Hey! Would you kindly stop that?" The pegasus ceased it's assault for a moment, then went back to its licking.

"Why do you insist on tasting my fac-" As if to answer his own question, he tasted some saltiness and realized the intentions of the animal. 'I... I was crying..?' Snapping out of his shocked state by the door handle turning, Zyre quickly wiped his face of slobber and tears while standing from his resting position. He noticed the pegasus tense a bit, but relaxed just as fast. 'I hope that it's only the rider, and not the Lords...'

Zyre was (somewhat) correct, as the first person that came up the steps was, indeed, Florina. Both he and the pegasus were visibly relieved, that is, until the Lords walked up shortly afterwards. "Oh! This is where you went and flew off too Huey…" Florina stepped towards the pegasus, but Huey moved closer to Zyre (Who went unnoticed by her worry about the pegasus). Upon seeing him however, she became visibly flustered, and stopped her approach towards the animal. No one watching paid much heed to her, as she gets nervous around men, but instead both sides eyed each other warily. "O-oh... I didn't see you, Zyre..." Her face looked like it was about to catch fire.

"I really must than-" "Alright, you found your pegasus, now go make sure it's held properly so it doesn't go wander about and make us waste time..." Hector interjected, earning a sad look from Florina. "Hector! I would appreciate if you weren't so... harsh with her." Lyn said, motioning for Florina to leave the area.

Stroking Huey's head, Florina began to lead the pegasus towards the exit, earning a snort from her mount. Huey looked back at Zyre and stared at him for a few moments, and started walking with Florina after receiving a nod from the man. After the pair left, the Lords walked over to the now alone Zyre, the information they heard from Leila was shocking to say the least. "We know who you are, Zyre..." Lyn began, Hector closing his eyes with Eliwood fully attentive. "What all did you learn?"

Looking to make sure Zyre left the room, Leila shut and locked the door. Turning back to the group of nobles, she looked at Hector last.

"Sir, no offense but can you promise me that... that no matter what you hear from me, that you refrain from judging him rashly..." Looking around slightly, Hector reluctantly nodded, prompting Leila to continue.

"From what I understand, he's the son of the man behind the Black Fang." "You mean Brandon Reed? The man who founded the Fang?" Eliwood asked, a shocked expression coming across his face, earning a shake of Leila's head. "No, not the _leader_, the man _behind_ the Fang. I've had the displeasure of working with him before. His name is Nergal, and he… He isn't what he seems to be. That's all I know about him, but please, don't make harsh judgements based on his parentage. He'd be dead by now if he didn't have a drive to break away from them." Leaving with a nod from the Lords, she quickly went about the halls of the castle, attempting to find a certain thief…

"From there, Lyndis told us about how she met you. I hope you're story is believable enough for us to take you in with us." Eliwood said, earning a grimace from Zyre and a frown from Lyn.

"But wait, I thought we were going to wait for Mark to join us…" Lyn added, Hector nodded. "He is our tactician, and Fang or not, Zyre could be an incredible benefit with his skills and knowledge."

Everyone in attendance stared at the blue-haired man. "Hector, that might just be the most intelligent thing I've heard you say since I've met you…" Lyn said, while Eliwood suppressed a chuckle.

Hector decided to let that remark slide… for now, but that didn't stop him from gritting his teeth. "I suppose my story will have to wait until Mark ar-" Zyre paused as he heard a faint gasping sound.

"It appears he's soon to arrive. Good, I suppose…" The doors slowly creaked open, as a tired tactician pitifully crawls up the stairs.

*Huff Huff* "Sorry for the-" *WHEW* "wait guys… I ran all the way here when I heard there might be some trouble. So, where does this little issue stand?" Mark asked, earning a swift glance from the Lords and a stare from Zyre.

"Wha- What? Do I have a bird in my hair again?" "No Mark, we just weren't expecting you to rush getting here is all..." Lynn said while trying to suppress chuckles at her friends actions. Despite his serious disposition and job as tactician, he managed to be a bit scatterbrained at times.

"So, what's the situation here?" Mark asked, finally catching his breath only to find the tense atmosphere between the Lords. Oh Gods how he hated tense situations…

Eliwood was the first to speak. "We've learned some… interesting things about our friend here. We need your input as to what we should do with the information."

From there, the entire story was laid in front of young tactician… Well, more like Eliwood would say something, Zyre or Lyn would pitch in if he made an error, then Mark would nod with the occasional "Hmm" or "Huh…" filling the air.

"...and there you have it, my 'life story' as you might call it." Everyone in attendance was shocked. A boy, no older than themselves, lived in the realm of the dragons for years, learning their language and honing his skills for survival more than anything. Not long after, a silence fell upon the roof, as information began to sink in, and thoughts began connecting. Zyre knew he was done for, he knew they would cast him aside. All he had to do was wait for the order... But what he got was, in a word, unexpected.

* * *

(A/N) Oh Gods I can hear the pitchforks and torches now. I'm kicking myself in the balls right now at how short this chapter is, and how long the wait was for it... Anyway, before some of you start complaining about my... choices with Zyre's ability with the arcane arts, I should remind you that 1.)It's a FAN-FICTION (A work of literature created by a person who enjoyed the original story/setting of an established work, be it video games, movies, books, or anything else.) and 2.) He was trained by DRAGON. Y'know, the ancient beings who've mastered the art of natural manipulation. Shitty excuse I know, and I'm all but throwing the canon out the window and dropping an anvil on it's genitals. Sorry if this isn't your cup of tea/coffee/energy drink, but my story, my rules (unless you guys want to give me some suggestions... I wouldn't mind that.) Well, I think i wrapped this chapter up, seeing as it's 3:19 in the morning at the time of revision. Until the next chapter. Kerota, _out._


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